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THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON. 137
whether other cases appear in the same house and to
have the places cleansed; but the frequent changing of
the place of abode in London renders it difficult to trace
subsequent cases. I trust that the inspection of workrooms
and the dwellings of the workers which your
Board has undertaken will do much to remove conditions
favourable to this disease, because the real remedy
for this disease is undoubtedly the raising of the
standard of bodily health. Persons suffering from consumption
cannot be prevented working, but they ought
reasonably be made to take such precautions as will
prevent the risk of infection of their fellow workers, and
the rooms in which they work should be regularly
cleansed in a thorough manner. After a person so
suffering has died or removed to another residence, I
am of opinion that the premises should be thoroughly
cleansed—especially so is this necessary when the
house consists of only one or two rooms.
Zymotic Diseases.
12.3 per cent. of the deaths in 1893 were due to
Zymotic or Specific Febrile Disease (excluding tubercular
diseases). Although there was a large increase
in the number of the cases of disease notified, as shown
in the subjoined table, yet the deaths, 79, were 32 less
than in the preceding year. This is accounted for by
the comparative mildness of the scarlet-fever cases and
by the absence of measles from the District during
1893. Measles is often looked upon as a trivial complaint,
but from the complications which ensue, its
effect upon the death-rate is a very marked one, and
shows that the complaint deserves much more care than
is usually bestowed upon it.